


I'm Hanging by a Moment (Here with You)

by TheGaySmurf



Series: Life Is the Moments We Make (The Seconds We Take) [12]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 21:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15179315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGaySmurf/pseuds/TheGaySmurf
Summary: A collection of short WayHaught ficlets that aren't long enough to post on their own, resultant of prompts received on Tumblr.  Each chapter will be its own little ficlet, and the prompt will be listed in the author's notes accordingly.





	1. I Can't Do It (Without You)

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are my own.
> 
> Fic title and all chapter titles are taken from song lyrics.
> 
> Fic title: "Hanging by a Moment" - Lifehouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "I need you to wake up, because I can't do this without you." for @drastic-sarcastic
> 
> Title: "I Can't Do It Without You" - Joey McIntyre

It’s peaceful here.

Dark and warm and quiet.

She feels like she’s floating.  Like swimming, but without the water.  Drifting along gently.

_Peaceful._

Until she hears something at the back of her mind.  It’s quiet, but persistent.  She shakes her head, trying to ignore it. 

Because it’s  _so peaceful_  here.

The noise continues, though.  Gets louder and louder and louder, until it begins to sound familiar.

A  _voice._

Her brow wrinkles in confusion.

She knows that voice.

_Baby…_

_Baby…_

_Baby, please…_

It’s calling to her.  She must go to it.  She can’t stay here any longer, no matter how peaceful it is. 

Light begins to filter into the darkness, and slowly,  _slowly,_  she starts to drift to the surface.

_I need you to wake up, because I can’t do this without you…_

Nicole cracks an eye open, instantly regretting it as she winces at the bright light spilling in from the nearby window.  She squeezes it shut again immediately, rolling over to bury her face in the pillow with a loud groan.

“There you are, sleepyhead!” Waverly says with excitement, far too loud and far too early as she wiggles on the bed next to Nicole and pokes her playfully in the ribs.

“Waverly…” Nicole whines, still muffled by the pillow.  “This is my first day off in over two weeks.”

“Exactly!”  Waverly climbs onto Nicole’s back, straddling her hips and bouncing lightly like a small child looking for a piggyback ride might.  “That’s why we have so much to do today,” she continues, ignoring Nicole’s grunts of protest.

“You have a list, don’t you…” Nicole asks, resignation heavy in her voice when she finally turns her head enough to glance at Waverly over her shoulder.

“Of course I do!” Waverly crows, clapping and rubbing her hands together with glee.

“Of course you do,” Nicole sighs beneath her.

Waverly’s shoulders sag, ever so slightly.  She slumps further back on her haunches, resting a little more heavily in the small of Nicole’s back.

“It’s just…” Waverly mumbles, fidgeting with the hem of the old academy shirt Nicole sleeps in.  “I can’t do some of this stuff without your help.  I thought…  I don’t know.  Never mind.”

Nicole rolls over, careful not to dislodge Waverly in the process, until she’s looking up at her with her hands resting on Waverly’s hips.

“I’m sorry, baby,” she says quietly, squeezing gently until Waverly looks up enough to catch her eye.  “Of course I’ll help you with your Honey-Do list.  As long as I get to spend the entire day with you, we can do anything you want.”

There’s a moment of silence before a positively wicked grin creeps across Waverly’s face, mischief dancing in her eyes.  Nicole lets her head fall back against the pillow with a dramatic  _thump._

“I walked right into that one, didn’t I?” Nicole laments.

“Just like I knew you would,” Waverly sing-songs in response, entirely too proud of herself.

Nicole lets out a low growl, before flipping Waverly so fast that she bounces a little when her back hits the bed.  She immediately covers Waverly’s body with her own, pressing her more firmly into the mattress.

“I know something  _else_  you can’t do without my help,” she whispers heavily into Waverly’s ear, before kissing her way down Waverly’s body, peeling her shirt up as she goes. 

Waverly threads her fingers into Nicole’s hair, tugging just enough to make her pause and look up for a moment.  Her eyes are bright and smug as she smirks down at Nicole.

“You say that like this wasn’t already the first thing at the top of my list.”


	2. Tell Me a Story (Of Days Gone By)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "tell me a story (of days gone by)" for @awol-newt (AO3: alesford)
> 
> Title: "Tell Me a Story" - Bearfoot

It takes them longer to break the curse then any of them ever dreamed.  

The first few years are taken up with Bulshar, who proves to be far more elusive (and dangerous) than expected.

They figure that will be the end of it.  That killing the source will kill the curse.  But they are wrong.  So, so wrong.  They discover this the hard way when a band of Revenants crashes their celebration party.

Another couple of years sees the majority of the Revenants put down, until there are only a small handful left.  But not all of them are stupid like Carl.  In fact, some of them are very, very smart.  

The Ghost River Triangle covers an incredible amount of square mileage, stretching even across the border to the States in one area, and finding someone that doesn’t want to be found – that has been hiding for over 150 years, and knows how to do it well – brings the phrase “needle in a haystack” to mind.

Alice is fifteen when it’s finally over and she gets to come home.  They’ve been Skyping with her for years on a secured connection, but it was too dangerous for any of them to know her true location.  The first time she walks through the door of the homestead behind Gus – Doc’s eyes and Wynonna’s hair and a well-rounded sarcasm that puts them both to shame – something in the air  _shifts._

The first few weeks are joyous and emotional, parties and long nights and never letting her out of their sight.  But then things begin to settle, and it’s  _time._   

It’s time to tell the story.  Time for her to learn of her legacy.

They sit around the fire, huddled together and drawing strength from one another.  Jeremy, and the way his eyes light up when he tells a a particularly exciting part.  Dolls and his silent strength, never straying far from Wynonna, letting her lean against his shoulder when she needs it.  Waverly and Nicole, married for years now, their fingers interlaced.  Doc and Wynonna, never married, but wearing each other’s rings regardless, his mustache twitching when he rests his hand on her knee.

They’re older now.  Streaks of grey forming in their hair at the temples, lines around their eyes and mouths, a collection of scars that remind them of everything they’ve been through.  But just for one night, telling the stories of their battles and victories, grateful for the fact that Alice will never have to face these things herself…  

Just for one night, they are young again, strong and brave and invincible.  


	3. I Hear the Drums (Echoing Tonight)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "i hear the drums (echoing tonight)" for @sunspill (AO3: isawet)
> 
> Title: "Africa" - Toto

Waverly is scared.

Terrified, if she’s being completely honest.  Because she’s here in this ridiculous gown, hands and feet bound to the altar, torchlight flickering against the inky black sky, and she really doesn’t see a way out of this.

The cold slab of marble is chilling her skin through the thin fabric, making her shiver all the way down to her very bones.  The rough ropes are rubbing her ankles and wrists raw, rivulets of blood trickling down along her arms.  She can hear the cultists chanting in a forgotten language, their drums carrying through the darkness to echo in her chest with every beat of her heart.

When he steps up into her vision, the haunting grin on his face makes her feel like she’s going to be sick.

“It’s time, my child…” he whispers, as he reaches out to stroke a finger down her cheek.

She closes her eyes and thinks of Nicole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Or, the one where Bulshar finally comes to collect on the deal Bobo made promising Waverly to him as his bride, and Nicole and Wynonna are left trying to find her in time and rescue her before it’s too late.))


	4. She's Waiting There (For You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "she's waiting there (for you)" for @sunspill (AO3: isawet)
> 
> Title: "Africa" - Toto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: THIS ONE IS A SLIGHT VARIATION ON THE CANON, REGARDING THE TIMELINE FOLLOWING THE HOT TUB DEBACLE. 
> 
> But I don't have anywhere else to put it, so it is still going here.

Nicole has never been one to  _run_  from a problem.

She’s spent her entire life standing up to bullies and protecting the people she cares about and trying to do the right thing.

But this is different.

She’s not running.  She’s walking away.

Because Waverly stormed out and told her not to follow.  Because Waverly made it clear in front of everyone else that she didn’t want Nicole around.  Because Waverly sent her a message calling her a control freak and telling her to have a nice life.

The thing she wants most in this world is for Waverly to be happy.  For a short while, Nicole believed that would happen with her standing by Waverly’s side.  But thanks to the fact that she crossed a line, it looks like that’s not an option anymore.

Waverly doesn’t want anything to do with her, and she will respect that.  Even if it kills her in the process.

She’s not expecting the knock on her door while she’s nursing her bourbon.  She’s expecting to find Wynonna on her front porch even less.

“You never struck me as the type to sit alone in the dark while you lick your wounds, Haughtshot,” Wynonna says with a raised eyebrow as she pushes past Nicole and makes herself comfortable on the couch, helping herself to the open bottle on the coffee table.

“What do you want, Wynonna?” Nicole asks, leaning back against the door.  “Are you here to kick my ass?”

Wynonna narrows her eyes.  “Do I need to?”

“No.”  Nicole sighs, rubbing at her temples.  “I suppose you can if you insist, but I already know I fucked up.”

“You did,” Wynonna agrees, and Nicole slides down the door until she’s sitting on the floor.  She downs the rest of her glass.  “But so did she.”

“What?” Nicole asks, her head snapping up.  “No she didn’t.  I fucked this up all on my own, and now I have to face the consequences.”  Her vision grows blurry through the sting that builds in her eyes.  “She doesn’t want me anymore, Wynonna.  It’s over.”

Wynonna rolls her eyes and takes a long swig of the bourbon.  “And people call  _me_  the oblivious one,” she mutters.  She pushes off the couch and moves to crouch in front of Nicole.  “That girl is ass over teakettle in love with you, Haughtpants.”

“She can’t even stand to be in the same room as me,” Nicole fires back, fighting the sick feeling that’s growing in her gut.

“Well, that’s because she’s an Earp,” Wynonna says matter-of-factly.

“Wynonna, sh-”

“She  _is_  an Earp,” Wynonna cuts her off firmly, poking Nicole in the chest.  “And if you even  _think_  about saying otherwise, I  _will_  kick your ass.”

“I would never say that,” Nicole says defensively.  “I was only going to say that she won’t talk to me.  And she told me not to talk to her.”

“Yeah.  Because she’s an Earp.”  Wynonna says again.  She groans when Nicole only looks at her with a frown, clearly confused.  “We’re  _stubborn,_  Haught.”  She softens a little.  “Stubborn to a fault, sometimes.  Look, she’s been moping around the house for three days, talking about how she’s ruined everything.  She won’t talk to you, because she thinks you don’t want to talk to her anymore after she sent that text.”

“You know about that text?” Nicole asks, wincing.

“Yeah,” Wynonna answers, letting out a low whistle.  “Like I said.  She’s an Earp.”

Nicole sighs and runs a hand through her hair.  “What am I supposed to do, Wynonna?”

“She’s at the homestead right now.”  Wynonna reaches out and squeezes Nicole’s shoulder gently.  “Go to her, Nicole.  She’s waiting there for you.”


	5. It's Gonna Take a Lot (To Drag Me Away from You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "it's gonna take a lot (to drAG ME AWAAAY FROM YOUUUUU)" for @sunspill (AO3: isawet)
> 
> Title: "Africa" - Toto

Waverly Earp knows a few things about demons.

She’s been fighting them her entire life.  

She’s watched them attack her family and carry her sister off into the night.  She’s felt them slip a rope around her neck and string her up on her own land.  She’s faced them down with a shotgun.  Faced them down with a rifle.  Faced them down with a skull and with an obsidian mirror and with a motherfucking tire iron.

But sometimes the demons hit a little closer to home.  

Sometimes they tell her that her entire life has been a lie and that she doesn’t even know who she really is.  Sometimes they tell her that her girlfriend is trying to control her instead of protect her.  Sometimes they tell her that recklessly kissing someone else will make everything better.  Sometimes they tell her that making a deal with a witch is a better idea than trusting her sister to save the woman she loves.

Waverly has spent her entire life studying demons, learning who they are and what they can do and how to find their weaknesses.  But she doesn’t know how to fight  _these_  demons.  All she knows is that they are threatening to ruin her.

She can’t see Nicole get kidnapped and left for dead on the side of the road again.  Can’t see Nicole get shot right in front of her again.  Can’t see Nicole get tossed across the bullpen and through a plate glass window by a fucking scarecrow again.  Can’t see Nicole get thrown into a wheel-barrel full of metal by her own goddamn hands and left unconscious on the floor of the barn again.  Can’t see Nicole get bitten and then lay dying in a hospital bed again.  Can’t see Nicole get choked up trying to say goodbye by telling her how much she loves her one last time before she falls into a coma again.

She can’t do it.

But these things are only going to keep happening, because that’s the true curse of being an Earp, whether she has Wyatt’s blood in her veins or not.

So she takes a page out of Wynonna’s book and starts pushing everyone away.  Dolls and Doc and even Wynonna.  But most of all Nicole.  Because Nicole deserves better than this, and she’ll never find it if she stays with Waverly.  Because she will always have a target on her back, and Waverly knows that one of these days, they won’t be so lucky.

But Nicole doesn’t go easy.

Because she can take it.  She can take being at the whims of the Earp sisters, and she can take dealing with Black Badge, and she can take being in danger while she fights the stuff of nightmares.

But what she can’t take is losing Waverly Earp.

Waverly confronts her about it one night.  Asks her why she keeps coming back for more.  Insists that she’s not worth everything that keeps happening to Nicole.

Nicole just shakes her head and pulls Waverly closer.

“It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you, Waverly Earp.  There’s nothing that a hundred demons or more could ever do.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone for reading. Feel free to send a prompt of your own, and I am always up for questions and discussions.
> 
> You can find me on both Twitter and Tumblr: @iamthegaysmurf


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